A retired Supreme Court justice, olabode rhodes-vivour, on monday lamented how corruption is still deeply rooted in nigeria, like any other country in the world.
While canvassing that concerted efforts must be put in place to reduce the abnormalty, he also wants the issue of convicts in nigeria to be urgently addressed.
Head of courts , politicians, captains of industries and royal fathers came together to honour.
Justice bode rhodes- vivour, who bowed out of the bench on attaining the compulsorily retirement age of 70 years.
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Speaking at the court session, the chief justice of nigeria, justice tanko muhammad, described rhodes-vivour as affable brother justice
For members of the bar, the erudite judge has Impeccable attention in every matter.
Responding, justice bode rhodes- vivour expressed gratitude to the judiciary, his family and friends for their support.
He however faulted the conduct of elections in the country, lamenting that they are protracted because the stakes are too high.
He then renewed his appeal for the country’s electoral act to be amended, to shift the burden of proof, to the independent national electoral commission, inec to prove that it conducted a fair and reasonable election.
One of his famous decisions was in the case of okeje -and okeje, 2014 where he held that customary law which dis-entitled a female child from partaking from her deceased father’s estate, is in conflict with section 42 subsection one and two of the constitution.
His outstanding performance and judicial competence earned him member election petition tribunal among several others.
The jurist was born on the 22nd of march 1951 , called to the Nigerian bar in 1975, started his judicial carrier in 1976 and rose through the rank to become the justice of the supreme court in 2010.
He was confirmed with a life bencher in 2016 and became deputy chairman for the national judicial and the body of benchairs in 2020.
(Edited by tunde orebiyi)
